‘Fortnite’ makers sued by Canadian parents over claims of game’s addictive properties

A group of Canadian parents is suing Epic Games in the US over the massive Fortnite franchise and claims it turns children into gambling addicts who stop eating, sleeping and showering.

BBC News reports that a Canadian Supreme Court judge has now allowed Quebec parents to sue Fortnite’s Epic Games. They claim their players are “heavily addicted” to the first-person shooter, which has a global audience of over 80 million players.

Earlier this week, a Canadian judge ruled that the lawsuit was neither “frivolous nor clearly without merit.” The court concludes that a serious issue must be raised, supported by sufficient and specific allegations regarding the existence of risks or even dangers arising from the use of Fortnite.

The law firm that filed the lawsuit said Epic Games is affiliated with a tobacco company and claimed the legal responsibility is “essentially the same.”

While the lawsuit may continue, the Canadian judge said he did not believe the parents’ claims that Epic Games made it on purpose Fourteen days addictive.

However, the court contradicted the parents’ claim that Epic Games knowingly made Fortnite addictive.

However, he added, “This does not rule out the possibility that the game is actually addictive and that the designer and distributors are probably aware of it.”

Epic Games denied the validity of the lawsuit in a statement obtained by the BBC.

“Parents can receive playtime reports showing how much time their child plays each week and get parental consent before purchasing,” the company said.

“We intend to challenge it in court. We believe the evidence will show this case is worthless.”